香楠(Machilus zuihoensis Hay.)與霧社楨楠(Machilus mushaensis Lu)之冬芽大小有明顯的差異,即香楠之冬芽較小,直徑0.2~0.4公分,長0.3~0.7公分,芽鱗近光滑;霧社楨楠之冬芽較大,直徑0.8~1.2公分,長1~2公分,芽鱗密被黃褐色粗毛,而且於標本館苗圃栽植之觀察結果,二年生實生苗之冬芽均維持原有之性狀。由於霧社楨楠與香楠在海拔之分布上不同,霧社楨楠分布在海拔較高,年平均溫是18.5±0.5℃以下之溫度,而香楠在海拔較低,年平均溫在18.5±0.5℃以上之溫度。根據兩者形態差異及海拔分布之隔離現象,加上以往同位酵素電泳分析資料研究之佐證,將香楠(M. zuihoensis)及霧社楨楠(M. mushaensis)在此處理爲兩個不同的種。
Machilus zuihoensis Hay. and Machilus mushaensis Lu are distinctly different in the size of their winter buds and bud scale indumentum. Bud sizes of M. zuihoensis are from 0.2 to 0.4 cm in diameter and 0.3 to 0.7 cm in length, and those of M. mushaensis are from 0.8 to 1.2cm in diameter and from 1 to 2 cm in length. The bud scales of M. zuihoensis are nearly glabrous, and those of M. mushaensis are densely covered by brown hairs. The difference can also be observed on plantations and in the nursery. Ecologically M. zuihoensis differs from M. mushaensis in growing at higher elevations with annual mean temperatures of 18.5±0.5℃ and below. In contrast, M. zuihoensis grows at a lower elevations with annual mean temperatures above 18.5±0.5℃. These 2 species are altitudinally allopatric. In addition to different isozyme patterns between the 2 taxa, the evidence presented in this paper leads us to treat them as distinct species.